BEACHWOOD, Ohio - Faith leaders put the justice system "on trial" Tuesday as they outlined their demands for reform to Cuyahoga County prosecutor candidates Timothy J. McGinty and Michael O'Malley.

As part of the process, the event organized by Greater Cleveland Congregations (GCC) offered arguments and witnesses pointing to disparities in the current system.

More than 1,000 people gathered at Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple in Beachwood for the 90-minute event.

Here are five takeaways from the gathering:

The "on trial" format

During the event loosely formatted as a trial, "evidence" of a broken system was presented by Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk from Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple and the Rev. Jawanza Colvin of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Cleveland.

"Tonight I confess: I can barely see peace and justice," Nosanchuk said. "I wish my eyes could focus on them, but they cannot. All I see before me is a cloud of hostility. There is an oppressive, gaping mistrust in Cuyahoga County, hanging between the citizens and the leaders who we pledgeto govern our criminal justice system."

Colvin cited what he said are examples of inequality, including the way the cases of Tanisha Anderson and Tamir Rice were handled by the prosecutor's office and Cleveland police.

"We found, that since 2005, the city of Cleveland in more than 60 lawsuits has paid out close to $8 million for accusations ranging from citizens accusing officers of needlessly shooting at them; beating them during routine traffic stops; shocking them with tasers while face-down on the ground in handcuffs; or arresting them when they committed no crime," Colvin said, referring to research into the topic.

He also said that Cuyahoga County -- "a proverbial 'felony factory'" -- has sent more people to state correctional facilities on felony charges than Franklin (Columbus) and Hamilton (Cincinnati) counties combined.

The event's format was intentional so that faith leaders and their congregants could air grievances without interruption or feedback.

Emphasis on accountability

GCC leaders were adamant that candidates need to be accountable, particularly regarding the group's three demands.

Those demands were outlined by GCC member Pastor Richard Gibson of the Elizabeth Baptist Church in Cleveland.

GCC wants the elected prosecutor to establish an independent prosecutor in police shooting cases; diminish overcharging misdemeanors as felonies and expand diversion for treatment in drug-related, low-level offenses.

Gibson said that on March 1 each candidate will submit his writtenplan to achieve those demands.

What the candidates said

During the roughly two minutes O'Malley and McGinty were each given to speak, the men addressed their commitment to the GCC demands.

Both agreed to the demands and said that their written plans would be complete by March 1. O'Malley briefly mentioned his platform, saying that the first GCCdemand directly aligns with his plans for police use-of-force cases.

McGinty listed some statistics of accomplishments his office has made during his time there, including a lower percentage of drug cases being pursued as felonies.

You can watch both candidates' responses to the demands in the video below.

O'Malley & McGinty at GCC meetingCuyahoga County prosecutor candidates Michael O'Malley and Timothy J. McGinty reacted Tuesday night to the demands made by the Greater Cleveland Congregations (GCC) at their call to action.

The importance of diversity

GCC leaders and their congregants come from many walks of life, which was evident at Tuesday's meeting.

The concerns brought to candidates Tuesday not only involved race or economic status but issues that affect the whole Greater Cleveland community. Among the examples: Substance abuse issues that can lead people from vastly different backgrounds on varying paths through the court system.

The group remains nonpartisan

Worth noting is that even with the energy and emotion of the topics raised at the event, GCC is an apolitical group.

It has refused to endorse any candidate for upcoming election.

The group did not allow either candidate to pass out campaign materials in the gathering space, nor did they allow candidates to speak about their platforms during their allotted time.

McGinty and O'Malley are both running as Democrats in the prosecutor's race. No Republican or independent candidates have declared their intent to run for the office, so the primary election on March 15 is expected to determine who serves as county prosecutor.